What is being done to deter ambush marketing? Are these attempts working?

This paper examines industry responses in Australasia and Europe to the growing practice of ambush marketing, to establish whether the measures that have been put in place to deter the practice have indeed prevented the ‘ambush’ effect, whereby audiences associate non-sponsoring organisations with particular sporting events. Although some of these measures may be more effective than others in blocking ambush attempts, they also come with potentially negative consequences for event sponsors

Tries and conversions: are sports sponsors pursuing the right objectives?

Sports sponsorship is perceived as important in developing relationships with key clients. However, few companies set relationship marketing objectives when sponsoring sports. This paper aims to examine whether sports sponsors are pursuing the right objectives. It concludes that a deeper understanding of the sponsor's relationship marketing objectives could heighten the sponsor's success, thereby reinforcing and sustaining their own relationship with the sponsoring organisation

Preadipocyte factor-1 is associated with marrow adiposity and bone mineral density in women with anorexia nervosa.

CONTEXT: Despite having low visceral and sc fat depots, women with anorexia nervosa (AN) have elevated marrow fat mass, which is inversely associated with bone mineral density (BMD). Adipocytes and osteoblasts differentiate from a common progenitor cell, the human mesenchymal stem cell. Therefore, understanding factors that regulate this differentiation process may provide insight into bone loss in AN. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1), a member of the epidermal growth factor-like family of proteins and regulator of adipocyte and osteoblast differentiation, and fat depots and BMD in AN. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study was conducted at a clinical research center. PATIENTS: Patients included 20 women with AN (26.8 +/- 1.5 yr) and 10 normal-weight controls (29.2 +/- 1.7 yr). INTERVENTIONS: There were no interventions. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE: Pref-1, leptin, IGF-I, IGF binding protein (IGF-BP)-2 and estradiol levels were measured. BMD of the spine and hip was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Marrow fat content of the L4 vertebra and femur was measured by (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: Pref-1 levels were significantly higher in AN compared with controls (P = 0.01). There was a positive correlation between Pref-1 and marrow fat of the proximal femoral metaphysis (R = 0.50, P = 0.01) and an inverse association between leptin and L4 marrow fat (R = -0.45, P \u3c 0.05). There was an inverse association between Pref-1 and BMD of both the anteroposterior spine and lateral spine (R = -0.54, P = 0.003; R = -0.44, P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Pref-1 is elevated in AN. Pref-1, IGF-I, IGF-BP2 and leptin are associated with marrow adiposity and BMD

IGF-1 is associated with estimated bone strength in anorexia nervosa.

IGF-1 and leptin are two nutritionally dependent hormones associated with low bone mass in women with anorexia nervosa. Using finite element analysis, we estimated bone strength in women with anorexia nervosa and found that IGF-1 but not leptin correlated significantly with estimated bone strength in both the radius and tibia. PURPOSE: Women with anorexia nervosa, a psychiatric disorder characterized by self-induced starvation and low body weight, have impaired bone formation, low bone mass, and an increased risk of fracture. IGF-1 and leptin are two nutritionally dependent hormones that have been associated with low bone mass in women with anorexia nervosa. We hypothesized that IGF-1 and leptin would also be positively associated with estimated bone strength in women with anorexia nervosa. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study of 38 women (19 with anorexia nervosa and 19 normal-weight controls), we measured serum IGF-1 and leptin and performed finite element analysis of high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT images to measure stiffness and failure load of the distal radius and tibia. RESULTS: IGF-1 was strongly correlated with estimated bone strength in the radius (R = 0.52, p = 0.02 for both stiffness and failure load) and tibia (R = 0.55, p = 0.01 for stiffness and R = 0.58, p = 0.01 for failure load) in the women with anorexia nervosa but not in normal-weight controls. In contrast, leptin was not associated with estimated bone strength in the group of women with anorexia nervosa or normal-weight controls. CONCLUSIONS: IGF-1 is strongly associated with estimated bone strength in the radius and tibia in women with anorexia nervosa. Further studies are needed to assess whether treatment with recombinant human IGF-1 will further improve bone strength and reduce fracture risk in this population

The Australian Cricket board (ABC): Mapping Corporate Relations

Academic research in the area of sports marketing has concentrated on bi-lateral relationships, such as that linking a sponsor with the recipient of support, or that between the audience and a particular sport. Yet the industry, made of many relationships, involves probably more than the mere sum of all these bi-lateral links. This paper first relates the principles of relationship marketing to the sports industry and presents a graphical representation of its multiple players and the relationships that bind them. Then, based on qualitative information obtained from the Australian Cricket Board, it illustrates how this industry map can be used by any player in the industry in order to identify and prioritise those relationship links in order to develop successful marketing strategies. It is suggested that industry mapping linked with the relationship marketing focus, can be the anchor for quality service improvements in the sports industry. © 1998, MCB UP Limite